


Rhy Knew First

by MissSunFlower94



Category: Shades of Magic - V. E. Schwab
Genre: Days after ADSOM, Drabble, F/M, Gen, Kell's POV, Matchmaking, Post- A Darker Shade of Magic, Pre- A Gathering of Shadows, Rhy Is a Romantic, for now, might be continued
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 16:55:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15247710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissSunFlower94/pseuds/MissSunFlower94
Summary: Rhy's recovered from not-quite-almost-death, and is wondering what happened to that delightful Delilah Bard.





	Rhy Knew First

**Author's Note:**

> ok in reality we all know that Calla knew first but indulge me

“What do you mean ‘ _she left_ ’?”

Once the prince had fully recovered from his almost – well, no, not _almost_ but neither brother really wanted to dwell on that – death, there had been a few days where they struggled to regain something like a routine. Now, Kell sat in Rhy's rooms, attempting to go through a normal magic lesson.

Kell had wondered, briefly, if their new connection would stretch to magic as well, and judging by Rhy’s increasing frustration when he struggled as much as he ever did, so had he. When they finally called it quits for the day, Rhy sent off for more tea and ventured to ask about Delilah Bard.

He sat back, a little surprised by the strength of Rhy’s reaction. His brother had spoken three sentences to Lila at most, barely alive and still attempting to flirt. “I mean she left,” he said matter-of-factly. “I mean, she left the city – not this world,” he added, in case that was what had upset Rhy.

It wasn’t. “And you didn’t stop her?”

Kell almost laughed, imaging how _that_ would have gone. “I didn’t know I was supposed to,” he said instead. Rhy looked almost personally offended by that. “You thought she’d stay here?” He gestured to the lavish room with a wry smile.

Theoretically, he knew letting loose a Grey World thief with a spark of magic in her could probably end very, very badly – especially given Lila’s penchant for finding, and creating, trouble. But she wanted to see the world, his world, and after she had risked her life more than once to help him save it Kell figured she had earned that right.

“Didn’t Tieren say she had magic?” Rhy asked, as if reading his thoughts. “I thought she might stay to learn.”

“If he offered, she must not have taken him up on it. Why are you looking at me like that?” He added, catching Rhy’s deadpan look.

He rolled his eyes, his apparent offense at Lila’s departure turning to exasperation. “I thought you would teach her.”

Now Kell did laugh, short and surprised. “I love you, Rhy, and that is the _only_ reason I have anything resembling patience with our lessons. Lila and I would be at each other’s throats within the week, and she’d never learn anything that way.”

He spared a second to pity whoever she wound up strong-arming into teaching her magic and in the same second found himself hoping she did find someone. Not only because the idea of Lila self-teaching herself magic – which he would normally consider impossible but, _Lila_ – was terrifying but because he really did want to see what she could do and thought she deserved the chance to find out.

He didn’t know what was in his expression but Rhy raised an eyebrow. “Oh I have no doubt you two would be all over each other.”

“That’s not- wait.” Suddenly Rhy’s reaction to Lila leaving the city made perfect sense, and he felt his face go hot. “Wait. Were you planning to _set her up with me_?”

Rhy’s face was the picture of innocence. “I wouldn’t say I had a plan, just working to fan that spark you two had.”

“That _is_ having a plan- and _what_ spark?” He sputtered.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re cute when you blush?”

“There was no- Rhy, I knew her for two days!”

“Two days of jumping worlds, saving each other’s lives,” Rhy propped his chin in his hands, grinning. “Really Kell, it reads like an epic.”

“Didn’t know you were a poet,” Kell muttered. He dragged a hand through his hair, painfully aware of how red-faced he still was. His mind so helpfully provided him with the memory of a stolen kiss and a wicked grin – but he pushed that back down as quickly as it arose. “Listen, I don’t interfere with your love life-“

“You absolutely do.”

“- don’t interfere with my lack thereof.”

Rhy sighed dramatically. “Fine, fine. Strict no interfering policy – not that I could, since you let her leave."

Kell rolled his eyes. "Now I'm glad she left before you could try anything. She'd have stabbed us both on principle."

Rhy gave him a look that said he didn't believe that and made Kell  _extremely_ glad that Lila was not in the city for his brother's schemes, and could only hope that by the time she returned to London Rhy would have forgotten them. Whatever ideas he might have in his head, Kell knew Delilah Bard well enough to know she wouldn't blink in the face of regicide if they annoyed her enough. She was frightening like that. A strange, maddening, _terrifying_ girl.

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling at her memory.

Saints only knew what Rhy would say about that.


End file.
